On September 5, 2007, staff members found Gillmor dead at the bottom of a staircase in his Washington home after he had failed to attend a congressional hearing.[1] Fellow Ohio Representative John Boehnor stated after Gillmor’s death, "Gillmor was a good friend and a trusted colleague who served his constituents with honor for nearly two decades."[2]

Gillmor was born and raised in Ohio and earned a bachelor of arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. After serving as a ranking captain in the U.S. Air Force he ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1986 before he won his seat in the Ohio Senate. He is survived by his wife, Karen, and five children.